The International Gateways, which channelises internet traffic in the country, said the two applications were shut down in the early hours Sunday on the orders of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

"The services have been blocked upon requests of intelligence agencies," a BTRC official told bdnews24.com.

He said the telecom regulator had initially planned to keep the services off till Sunday midnight, but that might be extended if necessary.